The Plume School - Maldon's Only Secondary School
A bit like the music of Chris Rea, the Plume School can be described as middle of the road. In most measures, the school simply refuses to depart from national averages.
The bulk of pupils from All Saints, Maldon Primary School and Wentworth will end up at the Plume which also admits youngsters from surrounding villages. Certainly, students from Maldon Court would dare not go within a whiff of the place.
The Plume is a split site school with years 7 and 8 at Mill Road a ten minute walk away from years 9 through 11 and the Plume College at Fambridge Road. The obvious benefit is that students get two bites at being the biggest kids in the playground. Conversely, pupils have to experience the terror of being bottom of the food chain for a second time.
The bulk of pupils from All Saints, Maldon Primary School and Wentworth will end up at the Plume which also admits youngsters from surrounding villages. Certainly, students from Maldon Court would dare not go within a whiff of the place.
The Plume is a split site school with years 7 and 8 at Mill Road a ten minute walk away from years 9 through 11 and the Plume College at Fambridge Road. The obvious benefit is that students get two bites at being the biggest kids in the playground. Conversely, pupils have to experience the terror of being bottom of the food chain for a second time.
In January 2012 the Plume followed the education crowd by converting to academy status. Head Teacher David Stephenson cited greater control over spending and the curriculum as the driving factor. Perhaps the generous lump sum from central government for converting made it an easy decision?
Unlike many academies, the Plume has, thus far, circumvented the customary rebranding exercise although it has gained an additional sub-name – Maldon’s Community Academy. |
With 58% of students achieving the prized 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C (including maths and English) the Plume is pretty much neck and neck with averages for both the Local Education Authority and England. In fact, for this particular metric the Plume ranks 48th out of 84 secondary schools under the waning dictatorship of Essex County Council (the Local Education Authority).
Here you can read a comparison between the Plume and local rival from Tiptree, Thurstable.
Ofsted officially declared the Plume ‘good’ in its last report in March 2011, awarding the school a respectable 2 out of 4. More information is available below in Table 1.
However, with just 3% of A level students attaining AAB in facilitating subjects (those subjects the big universities think of as important), perhaps the cream of Maldon’s 16-18 year olds are plying their trade elsewhere.
Here you can read a comparison between the Plume and local rival from Tiptree, Thurstable.
Ofsted officially declared the Plume ‘good’ in its last report in March 2011, awarding the school a respectable 2 out of 4. More information is available below in Table 1.
However, with just 3% of A level students attaining AAB in facilitating subjects (those subjects the big universities think of as important), perhaps the cream of Maldon’s 16-18 year olds are plying their trade elsewhere.
If you are convinced that the Plume is the place for you or your child then admission works thus:
Children within the priority admission zone are not guaranteed a place. In the event of oversubscription ‘Looked After Children’, those in a foster care, a children’s home or any whose parents, for whatever reason, cannot provide care, are the priority.
Next come those with a sibling at the school AND who live within the priority admission zone. Third choice is for kids living in the priority zone. The fourth category is for those with a sibling at the school but who live outside the priority admission zone. The rest, with absolutely no chance of getting in, are dumped in category five, left dreaming of what might have been.
Children within the priority admission zone are not guaranteed a place. In the event of oversubscription ‘Looked After Children’, those in a foster care, a children’s home or any whose parents, for whatever reason, cannot provide care, are the priority.
Next come those with a sibling at the school AND who live within the priority admission zone. Third choice is for kids living in the priority zone. The fourth category is for those with a sibling at the school but who live outside the priority admission zone. The rest, with absolutely no chance of getting in, are dumped in category five, left dreaming of what might have been.